Is the 4th commandment a moral law?

[CDM]

Over in this thread it was brought up if the Sabbath was moral in nature or ceremonial.

I'm curious to know, by way of poll, what position people here hold to.

 

[CDM]

Awesome!

100% believe it to be moral, and thus universally binding on mankind!

God be praised!

 

[Ambrose]

Moral and More

I said moral, but I really have a hard time assigning laws to ONLY one category. I think it could be considered all three.

 

[Kevin]

I said moral, but I really have a hard time assigning laws to ONLY one category. I think it could be considered all three.

Ditto's to what Chad said. I think this is especially true for the 4th.

 

[CDM]

Ditto's to what Chad said. I think this is especially true for the 4th.

Yeah, I'm with you both but I felt it necessary for the poll to be divided up so as to gauge accurately the positions of the participants.

 

[Timothy William]

I'm sorry to spoil the 100% record, but I voted Don't Know. I am leaning towards moral. However, I have problems with any interpretation of the Law that seeks to ascribe to each individual the status of moral, civil or ceremonial, as though that was the sole determinant of how we should treat that law. I know this is an unfair representation of the Reformed position but I struggle to understand exactly how the Sabbath should be understood.

 

[Croghanite]

Awesome!

100% believe it to be moral, and thus universally binding on mankind!

God be praised!

Therefore we should not hinder ANYONE from sanctifying the day.

 

[jfschultz]

How would you answer this question in terms of all 10 commandments? Why should the 4th commandment be any different?

I consider all 10 to be moral law and that they stand as unity. If there is any difference, two of them (4th and 7th) are creation ordinances and if anything "more emphatically" moral law than the other 8.

 

[non dignus]

Why should we assume all ten are moral? I believe the 4th is at least partly ceremonial. Adam probably kept Sabbath but do we see Noah or Abraham keeping the Sabbath after the fall? Rather we see in the sabbath law AND gospel in the Edenic types of the Israelite theocracy.

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

Why should we assume all ten are moral? I believe the 4th is at least partly ceremonial. Adam probably kept Sabbath but do we see Noah or Abraham keeping the Sabbath after the fall? Rather we see in the sabbath law AND gospel in the Edenic types of the Israelite theocracy.

After Moses we don't hear of circumcision until David. Then from David we don't hear it from David until Jeremiah.

Does that mean they didn't circumcise during those thousands of years of silence?

Genesis is less silent than one may think about the Sabbath and it being kept.

Really press you to consider this:
MP3 CD: Audio MP3 CD on Dominicum Servasti
Have you kept the Lord's Day?
http://www.apuritansmind.com/CD/DominicumServastiAudioCD.htm

The 4th commandment was punishable by death.
No ceremonial law was punishiable by death - only the moral law.
It is a pre-creation ordinance that is binding upon all men.

 

[non dignus]

Thanks Matt, will do.

 

[elnwood]

I put ceremonial, but I think there are civil aspects as well.